CM launches ‘Amma Hastham

As an Ugadi gift to nearly 2.25 crore white ration card holders in the state, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy will launch the ‘Amma Hastham’ scheme at Ravindra Bharati on Thursday. Under the scheme, the government will provide nine essential commodities in a packet through ration shops every month for just Rs 185. The actual cost of these items is Rs 292 and the government will subsidise Rs 107 on each packet. The scheme is expected to benefit about 7.5 crore people, covering almost 90 per cent population in the state at a time when the people are burdened by soaring prices of essential commodities.

The Rs 185 package will include 1 kg toor dal, 1 litre palm oil, 1 kg atta, 1 kg wheat, half kg sugar, 1 kg salt, quarter kg chilli powder, half kg tamarind and 100 gm turmeric powder. Civil supplies minister D. Sridhar Babu said that quality of the products will be maintained. The state government had launched the ‘Mana Biyyam’ scheme in January 2013 on the occasion of Sankranti. Mana Biyyam supplies rice at Rs 1 per kg every month to 2.25 crore whitecard holders. Mr Sridhar Babu said the price of Rs 185 would be maintained for one year.